Politics

BJP Wins Nandigram and Rejinagar By‑polls with Large Margins

By HT News Desk

BJP candidate Hasirani Rath won the Nandigram Assembly by‑poll with 1,64,427 votes, a 75.94% share, defeating Congress candidate Milan Pradhan who received 41,674 votes (19.25%). Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath—an aide of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari who was killed in May—secured a margin of 1,22,753 votes. In Rejinagar, BJP’s Shankharavh Sarkar received 1,29,914 votes, beating Aam Janata Unnayan Party’s Golam Nabi Azad (Robin) who got 54,098 votes, a margin of 75,816. The Rejinagar by‑poll was triggered when AJUP chief Humayun Kabir vacated the seat after choosing to retain Naoda following the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The Nandigram by‑poll followed CM Suvendu Adhikari’s decision to keep Bhabanipur after winning both constituencies in the 2026 elections. The contests were closely watched as early tests for the BJP government that ended the Trinamool Congress’s 15‑year rule earlier this year. The opposition saw shifts when Trinamool Congress‑aligned candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew after meeting Adhikari, and Banerjee extended support to Congress’s Milan Pradhan. Pradhan’s campaign was disrupted by his September arrest over 2007 Nandigram agitation cases; he later secured bail and returned to campaign. Congress alleged irregularities and intimidation during polling and demanded a repoll, allegations the BJP rejected.